Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel urged young people to honour marriage promises and become financially independent. Her remarks highlighted relationship accountability, family responsibilities and society's role in preventing abandonment.
UP Governor Anandiben Patel tells men to honour marriage promises to girlfriends (File Photo: PTI)
Lucknow,Oct 22, 2026 20:14 IST
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Thursday urged young people to take relationships seriously, saying there was nothing wrong with having a girlfriend but those who promise to marry must honour their commitment. She also stressed that young people should become financially independent before getting married and be prepared to shoulder family responsibilities.
Addressing the seventh convocation ceremony of a private college in Lucknow, Patel expressed concern over incidents in which girls become mothers at a young age and are subsequently abandoned by their partners. “It is not right to make a girl a mother at the age of 13-14 and then leave her alone,” she said.
Patel said governments had taken several steps to prevent such incidents, but society also needed to recognise its responsibility. She urged young people to understand the consequences of their decisions and think carefully before making promises about their future with someone.
“There is nothing wrong with having a girlfriend, but if you have promised to marry her, you must fulfil that promise,” she said, emphasising the need to honour commitments in relationships.
MARRIAGE ALSO BRINGS FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
Patel stressed that marriage was not merely a relationship between two people but a commitment that came with wider family responsibilities. Young people should first become self-reliant and ensure they were in a position to support a family before getting married, she said.
Her remarks come amid earlier public statements in which she stressed traditional family values and responsibilities, particularly for women. In separate remarks, she had also cautioned young women against live-in relationships, urging them to consider the responsibilities associated with family life.
EARLIER REMARKS ON WOMEN AND FAMILY LIFE
Addressing the 41st convocation of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University in Kanpur in July 2026, Patel said women should first become “expert mothers”, whether they aspired to become IAS officers or teachers.
She had also said women should know how to cook and manage household responsibilities while pursuing their education and careers. At the same time, she urged women not to give up their education after marriage and encouraged them to use their knowledge in the service of society and the nation.
The remarks drew criticism from opposition leaders, student activists and commentators, who argued that placing domestic expectations on women reinforced traditional gender roles and overlooked their professional aspirations. Some supporters, however, backed her emphasis on family values and parental responsibilities.
RECALLS GUJARAT INITIATIVE FOR CHILDREN
At Thursday’s event, Patel also recalled an initiative she introduced while serving as a minister and chief minister in Gujarat.
She said interactions with people had prompted her to consider how money spent during such engagements could instead be directed towards social welfare. The initiative led to the provision of gram and jaggery to children from poor families at anganwadi centres. Anganwadi workers would boil the gram, season it and serve it to the children, she said.
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Inputs from Ankit Mishra